New Orleans and Japanese city look to restore cultural, economic ties

New Orleans and the city of Matsue in Japan, are looking to restore and develop cultural and economic ties, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Matsue mayor Masataka Matsuura said during a celebration of that partnership on Friday. The unofficial relationship between New Orleans and Matsue began in the nineteenth century when Lafcadio Hearn, a journalist and writer of ghost stories who lived in New Orleans from 1877 to 1887, moved to Matsue in 1890 and became a naturalized Japanese citizen.

Japanese translations of Hearn's stories became a pillar of mainstream culture, and his home in Matsue continues to be a major tourist attraction. Though the official sister city agreement between Matsue and New Orleans was signed in 1994, cultural exchanges stopped in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.

"The reason I came here is to discuss how to restart cultural and economic cooperation," Matsuura said. "We cherish this relationship."

Matsuura also pointed out that both cities have similar geographic locales.

"Matsue is known as a city surrounded by water, just like New Orleans," he added.

"We have the opportunity to learn from each others' economies," she said. "They have 8.8 million visitors per year and a popualtion of 190,000, while we have 8.2 million visitors per year and a population of almost 345,000, so it will be interesting to see how they position their leisure market."

New Orleans, she continued, is "primarily interested" in opportunities centered on strengthening the tourism industries in both cities.

Though the sister city relationship also opens the door to cultural and educational exchanges, bilateral trade between Louisiana and Japan is flourishing, and Louisiana exports to Japan currently include rice, agriculture and chemicals.

"Japan is the world's third largest economy, and it's important that we continue this robust relationship," Landrieu said. "In 2010, Japan was Louisiana's second largest export market in dollar amount, a 21 percent increase from 2009."

Landrieu also stressed New Orleans' leadership status.

"Our great city has become a leader on behalf of the United States as a laboratory for innovation and change," he said. "When other countries do business with New Orleans, they're doing business with the United States."

The event was organized by the World Trade Center of New Orleans, and the celebration of the New Orleans-Matsue relationship will continue at today's Japan Fest at the New Orleans Museum of Art.